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Relax the blade tension. Then clamp the short block of the gauge to the side of the blade, just behind the teeth. Leave room for the feeler gauge. Clamp the long block to the blade so that a O.OOS-in. feeler gauge fits between the block and the measuring pin. Add tension to the blade. Once a O.OOB-in. feeler gauge slips between the short block and the measuring pin, back off a bit. duty, industrial-quality bandsaws, the blade can be tensioned up to 30,000 psi if it's going to be used for resawing. It's interesting how "psi" translates into the number of pounds of tension applied to the blade and the wheel. A �-in.-wide by 0.025in.-thick blade requires a pull of about 188 1bs. to achieve a tension of 15,000 psi. And because both the cutting and returning halves of the blade are under tenSion, the bandsaw's tensioning spring must push up the top wheel with twice this force, a total of 375 1bs. The suggested tension, measured in psi, remains the same no matter what size blade you're using. So, for example, because the 82 FIN E WOO D W 0 R KIN G %-in.-wide blade has a smaller cross-sectional area than the �-in.wide blade, you need only about 140 lbs. of pull (280 lbs. on the top wheel) to produce 15,000 psi of tension. But knowing how much to tension the blade is only half the sto- ry. You also have to be able to tell how much tension is actually being applied, which is where this gauge comes in. The gauge is easy to use The best way to determine blade tension is to measure the amount the blade stretches as it's pulled taut. As you might expect, steel Photos, this page (top and bottom left): Michael Pekovich